Another day.
The Yankees’ attempt to end their 13-year World Series title drought officially begins Wednesday when their pitchers and catchers report for the start of spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. The first full squad workout takes place on Monday.
Last year nobody had Aaron Judge on their bingo cards, who broke Roger Maris’ home run record in the American League. Before opening day, some pundits expected the team to end up in the middle of the field only to watch the Yankees sprint to 99 wins and a division title. Nestor Cortes received votes for the Cy Young Award.
So what’s in store for 2023? Here are our bold predictions.
Aaron JudgeNick Turchiaro / USA Today
Aaron Judge hits 70 home runs
Remember when we all thought Aaron Judge was playing with fire when he turned down the Yankees’ $231 million deal last year? Well, he showed us. See how many expect Judge to hit a massive drop after hitting 62 home runs? I don’t doubt him again. Look, Judge will be playing motivated to prove he’s going to cash in on his $360 million deal and his new captaincy. And last season, he hit just one homer in the Yankees’ first 13 games. After the All-Star break, he averaged a home run every 10.5 plate appearances. Extrapolate that to an estimated 700 plate appearances in a full season and you get a 66.6 overall home run — the mark of the beast that Judge has become. Throw in a few more balls that sneak over the wall, and Judge becomes only the third player in baseball history to reach 70. – Brendan Kuty
Pirates all-star outfielder Bryan Reynolds requested a trade earlier this offseason. Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington has said on several occasions now that he sees Reynolds as a key element in what the pirates are building. So far, the pirates have asked for a “Juan Soto-type package” for Reynolds. For the Yankees, that would mean potentially trading away at least two of the team’s top three prospects — Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza and Jasson Dominguez. It’s an unrealistic question. Reynolds is a good player but nowhere near a generational talent like Soto. A big part of Pittsburgh’s huge demand is that Reynolds doesn’t become a free agent until 2026, giving both sides time to work out a long-term deal and avoid arbitration over the next two years.
If Reynolds makes it clear that he has no desire to continue his career in Pittsburgh, the Pirates may be forced to reconsider their stance. The Yankees need a better option in left field than Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera. Could a package of outfielder Everson Pereira, catcher Austin Wells, right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt and right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter be enough to pull it off? The Yankees have title ambitions, and it’s hard to imagine them not trying to upgrade left field with the best possible candidate available. – Chris Kirschner
Anthony Volpe joins the rookie-of-the-year conversation
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner called Volpe and fellow rookie infielder Oswald Peraza the future of the middle infield. Peraza and Volpe, along with veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa, will compete for the shortstop starting spot in spring training. Peraza has the advantage because he played last season, showed he’s a good defender and wasn’t overwhelmed at plate, while Volpe only played briefly in Triple A.
There isn’t anyone within the Yankees organization who wouldn’t say Volpe isn’t the real deal. It would be surprising if he didn’t get a lot of playing time this season. In 2016, Gary Sanchez played 53 games and finished second in Rookie of the Year to Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Sanchez started that year, hitting 20 homers and hitting 168 OPS+. If Volpe ends up playing about the same number of games as Sanchez, it’s not out of the question that he can end 2023 with around 15 homers and 20 stolen bases. Plus, it won’t hurt Volpe that he has the notoriety and attention to increase his chances. – Kirner
Josh Donaldson recovers and finishes with a 125 wRC+
When the Yankees traded to Josh Donaldson last offseason, he was just coming off a season in which he was 26 percent better than the hitter league average and hit 26 homers. The Yankees got a shell from this player last season. Donaldson ended 2022 with a 97 wRC+, a .308 base percentage and just 15 homers. Donaldson’s numbers have been down across the board and there isn’t much evidence he can return to the levels the Yankees are publicly hoping for. But one of Donaldson’s main problems last season was that he couldn’t stop chasing pitches out of the zone. His 29.3 percent pursuit rate was the worst of his career at nearly six percentage points. This also coincided with Donaldson struggling a lot hitting sinkers and sliders, which was a big difference from his 2021 season where he was one of the best at hitting both spots. Lowering his stalking rate, improving his walk rate to his career average of 12.4 percent, and returning to hitting shifters and sinkers could make all the difference when it comes to having the kind of season the Donaldson Yankees need. when he will be there line up almost every day. – Kirner
Plaques for John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman
John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman – the voices of Yankees radio – are living legends. Sterling’s baritone, quirks and unique home run calls have wowed Yankees fans since he came to the dressing room in 1989. It’s ridiculous that he’s not in the Radio Hall of Fame. Waldman, who is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame, is a trailblazer whose resume has many firsts and has served as an inspiration to countless women in the media. Bob Sheppard, the legendary public address announcer for the Yankees, has a plaque in Monument Park. I am not aware that this has been discussed internally or will happen. But could it happen? I think it should. Theeeee Yankees win – if they give plaques to Sterling and Waldman and make a tag of it at Yankee Stadium. — Kuti
Yankees win the World Series
Get ready for a parade. Yes, I’ve said before that the Astros may still have a better overall lineup than the Yankees this season. But remember, although I know no one wants to hear it, the Yankees would have had a much better chance against Houston in the American League Championship Series last year if DJ LeMahieu, Andrew Benintendi and Frankie Montas had been healthy. This year’s iteration of the Yankees can take on the boogeyman Astros, who no longer has Justin Verlander. Also, the Yankees added a Cy Young Award nominee in Carlos Rodón, and the rest of the American League East didn’t do much to catch up. The Blue Jays’ offense is still scary, but the pitching staff isn’t. The rays usually find a way, but look unspectacular on paper. The Red Sox could struggle with the Orioles to stay out of last place. A full season in relatively good health from a roster of players still in their sporting prime gives the Yankees their best shot at capturing a title since the Joe Girardi era. — Kuti
(Top photo of Yankees winning 2009 World Series: Getty Images)